Messi farewell orders open a new Topps NOW tier

Topps reached a record 664,325 orders for Lionel Messi’s Final Farewell release by October 20, 2026. The total unlocked the first Topps NOW White OpalFractor, a Chrome card numbered 1/1.

The release marks Messi’s last Argentina match. Buyers ordered a 2-card pack, with variations, short prints and autographs among the possible contents. Existing orders now include access to the highest Chrome tier in the release’s print-run system.

The farewell pack’s card format

The pack’s price was $19.99 during its completed ordering window, according to Inside World Football, as of October 21, 2026.

A Farewell card occupies part of the pack’s format. It can be a base card, a parallel or a 1/1 autograph. The other card can feature Messi’s Argentina records through a variation, a short print or a 1/1 autograph.

The release includes 4 different Messi autograph cards numbered 1/1. The White OpalFractor is a Chrome parallel, separate from the autograph options.

Both autographs and short prints appear in the pack’s configuration.

How the Chrome tiers opened

The Chrome additions depended on total orders. At 50,000, the release added parallels numbered to 50 and 99. Reaching 100,000 brought further parallels and a Superfractor numbered 1/1.

The 250,000 level added Opal Chrome versions. The top threshold, 500,000, made the White OpalFractor available, according to OTIA Sports.

Messi’s final total exceeded that highest threshold by 164,325 orders. The resulting White OpalFractor is the first example produced through the Topps NOW milestone system.

The ordering pace reached 250,000 on October 13, 2026. It stood at 450,000 on October 15, 2026, before the ordering window closed.

The final tier was tied to the release’s total, not a separate White OpalFractor order. Only a single example of that parallel is included in the release.

Messi’s lead over the previous record

Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 milestone issue held the previous Topps NOW record at 653,737. Messi passed it by 10,588 orders, a 1.62% increase over that benchmark.

The Olympic basketball release featuring Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James reached 588,030. Messi’s earlier Argentina retirement announcement card had a print run of 335,283. Jack Hughes’ Olympic goal issue reached 332,447.

Messi now accounts for 2 of the 5 largest Topps NOW print runs. His farewell release takes the top position, while the earlier Argentina announcement remains among the program’s largest issues.

The new record belongs to a pack with 2 cards. Ohtani’s earlier benchmark was a milestone card release.

A larger audience for Messi’s farewell

Topps NOW began in 2016. Its cards mark events close to when they happen, with printing based on orders placed during a short sales window.

The Messi release also brought a record number of first-time Topps NOW buyers. It arrived during the program’s 10th anniversary period.

Clay Luraschi, Fanatics Collectibles’ senior vice president of global product development, described activity that continued through the end of ordering. He linked Messi’s demand to his international audience and growing interest in football cards.

Fanatics has made Europe, Asia and Australia priorities for growth. Football is central to those plans, with Messi’s farewell release drawing orders across the full sales period.

Luraschi said Topps sets demanding targets for major NOW releases without knowing whether orders will reach the highest tier. After Messi’s result, he said the next task was to develop new features for future releases.

What to do

• Check whether a secondary listing offers an unopened farewell pack or a named card from it.
• Confirm whether any listed 1/1 is an autograph, a Superfractor or the White OpalFractor. The release includes distinct versions.
• Ask whether a listing for the complete pack includes both cards in its original configuration.

Related: Sports Cards news.